The Ball
by Xtremeroswellian
Summary: The annual policeman's ball holds a lot of surprises for Faith and Bosco. But will the evening end in dreams come true, or broken hearts? WYWG fic #9: Conclusion up as of 9/21/02!
1. Default Chapter

Title: The Ball (1/2)

Author: Demelza & X_tremeroswellian

Emails: demelza81@yahoo.co.nz & X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: Still don't belong to us, darn it. They belong to Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells and a bunch of other people that we've never met before. Please don't sue. 

Rating: PG-13 for some language

Spoilers: Up through and including "The Unforgiven." 

Summary: The annual policeman's ball holds a lot of surprises for Faith and Bosco. But will the evening end in dreams come true, or broken hearts?

Author's Note: This is the ninth story in a series of Third Watch fics we're writing titled "Wherever You Will Go." The first one is "Confessions," the second is "Here With Me," the third is "Pain," the fourth is "Tears," the fifth is "Fear," the sixth is "Sadness," the seventh is "Reunion," and the eigth is "Warning Signs." You may want to read those first before continuing. All fics can be found at the WYWG site: http://wywg.topcities.com/index.html .

Author's Note II: The songs mentioned and used in this fic in order are "A Woman's Worth" by Alicia Keys, "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, "You've Got a Way" by Shania Twain, and "Kissing You" by Des*ree. All appear on the Wherever You Will Go soundtrack, Volume I.

* * *

Previously during Third Watch and Wherever You Will Go: 

*"I killed someone. This guy was shooting at Bosco and I killed him. Fred...I killed him. But then I didn't even remember...that I killed somebody today."

*"There was this chick at the bar last night..." he said...."Her name was Crystal, a real looker, tall, blonde...she gave me her number, I'm gonna give her a call on our next break..."

*She flinched at the feel of his hand on her shoulder. "I screwed up," she whispered.  
"What? Faith, no, don't do this to yourself... you didn't screw up. We're all safe."  
She shook her head. "I froze, Bosco." She jerked her eyes up to meet his. "I froze."  
He swallowed, remembering. "You were in a bad situation, it's understandable... shock and fear. It does that to people, no matter who they are."  
"I'm a cop. And you were in trouble. I didn't back you up. Again."

*"There is something I need to ask you," Davis said, his voice serious.   
Alex frowned slightly. "What's that?"   
"There's an event tomorrow night...the policeman's ball...and...I want you to be my date," he said, hopefully, gazing down at her.

*Swerksy looked between them, a small frown forming as he noticed the tears in Faith's eyes and how weary Bosco appeared. "You're both going to be attending the policeman's ball tomorrow night, right?"  
"I guess," he replied.   
Faith hesitated. "I don't know."  
Swersky looked at her. "I need you both to be there," he said, gently but firmly.   
Bosco looked at Faith, worried at her hesitation, and reply. He turned back to Swersky. "Why, what's so important we be there? I didn't think these things were mandatory."  
Swersky shrugged. "They're not, usually. But I need your word that you'll both be in attendance tomorrow night," he said, without answering Bosco's question.   
She looked down at the floor, wondering how Fred was going to react to this. "I'll be there," she said finally.  
"Yeah, me too," he replied, the questions still running through his mind as he looked at the Lieu. 

The Ball (Part One)

Faith stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, pinning part of her hair back with a butterfly comb. A few wisps framed her face. She stared at herself in the mirror for a long time. She looked like someone else...someone not herself. She looked down at the black silk ballgown she was wearing, feeling uncomfortable and yet amazed at the same time. She looked back to the mirror and shook her head slightly. She caught sight of Fred standing in the doorway behind her, but she didn't turn around. 

"I tell you not to spend money, but did you listen?" Fred angrily asked, rising his arms and placing them across his chest in an 'controlling' manner. "No!" 

She frowned at his reflection in the mirror. "I didn't spend any money."

"Oh no? Then how do you explain that gown you're wearing?"

"Joan let me borrow it for the night," she replied with a shrug, her tone emotionless.

His eyes rolled. "Really? Well, it doesn't take away from the fact you're dressed like a tramp," he sneered.

She averted her eyes from the mirror and reached for her purse on the bed. She picked it up and moved past him. "I'll call later," she said quietly. 

A scowl etched across Fred's forehead. "It's a waste of time and money, if you ask me. You should be working, not having a night out. Not like you deserve one," he said bitterly. 

Faith paused momentarily, not looking at him. "Swersky told me to be there. He's my boss. If I don't do what my boss says, I'll get fired. You don't like it, take it up with him." Without another word, she headed for the living room. She smiled at Charlie, who was sitting on the sofa watching television. "Bye, Sweetie." 

Charlie looked up at her, his eyes widening. "Mom, you look awesome!" 

Her smile broadened slightly. "Thanks." She leaned down to give him a kiss and hug. "I'll call you later, okay? Before bedtime?" 

He nodded. "Okay. Have fun." 

Fred didn't say anything, just stood in the small hall watching as Faith gave their son a kiss on the head. It angered him, but he kept his scowl set on his face, and followed her every move with his eyes. 

"Thanks." She winked at him. "I'll try to bring you back some cake for tomorrow," she promised as she headed for the door. 

"Chocolate!" he called after her.

She turned, chuckling slightly. "I'll see what I can do," she told him as she grabbed the shawl her sister-in-law had let her borrow. 

"Don't be home late," he said, his tone filled with warning. 

Faith turned to look at her husband, her eyes narrowing. "I'll be here when you see me," she said calmly, before turning and walking out the apartment without giving him a chance to respond. 

* * *

After climbing out of the cab, Alex walked arm-in-arm with Davis up to the front steps of City Hall, where the ball was being held. She hadn't set her expectations too high of what to expect of the ball, especially for it being held for a bunch of police personell. But she pushed all of that aside, and took in a breath as they walked up to the main entrance of the Hall and went inside. She gasped in awe, looking around her with a wide smile. "Oh wow, never in a million years..." she trailed off, taking in the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, the abundance of women dressed in wonderfully coloured gowns and the men dressed in their black tuxedos. Her smile grew wider, and that's when she heard the slight chuckle come from Davis. She looked up at him, seeing him smile back with those deep brown eyes of his. "This is amazing," she said in a low voice. 

Davis smiled. "You look amazing." 

Alex smiled, her cheeks slightly flushing. "Thank you. And so do you, I mean, you look very handsome." 

He grinned. "I know it." 

She playfully pushed him in the arm, shaking her head slightly. She let out another low breath, looking out amongst the room. "I've never seen anything like this before..." she said, taking in the warmly painted cream walls that covered every part of the large hall, not to forget the pillars of polished wood. 

"Yeah, they really go all out with it," he said with a slight shrug, glancing around the room at all the balloons and decorations. 

"So, shall we?" Alex asked, motioning toward the room. 

He nodded. "Yeah, let's." He smiled down at her and then escorted her inside, glancing around the room for familiar faces. 

"Hey, isn't that Sully?" She gently nudged Davis in the side, nodding over toward a round table toward the other end of the hall where a couple sat, talking alone. 

Davis looked over in the direction she nodded to and he nodded his head. "Yep. Wanna go say hi?" 

Alex looked up at him. "Of course." She smiled, almost pulling him along as she headed towards them. 

Davis smiled and nodded at his partner and his wife as he and Alex reached their table. "Hey, Sul. Tatiana." 

Sully looked up, then smiled at him, and then at Alex. "Hey, Davis, Taylor." 

"Hey," she said in a soft voice, smiling. 

Tatiana smiled up from where she was looking down at her and Sully's intertwined hands. "Hi guys." She smiled at them both. 

Davis glanced from Tatiana to Alex. "Alex, this is Sully's wife, Tatiana. Tatiana, this is my girlfriend, Alex Taylor." 

"I am so pleased to meet you, Alex. John has told me a little about you." 

Alex smiled back at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you too," she replied. "Nothing bad though, I hope," she said, shifting her gaze to Sully. 

Sully looked startled. "Of course not," he assured her. 

Alex just smiled.

Davis glanced around, his gaze falling on two figures halfway across the room. "Hey, there's Bosco and Yokas," he said, nodding toward them.

Tatiana looked in direction that Davis was, not knowing who he was talking about. 

Alex turned her attention toward the two figures. "They came together?" 

Davis raised an eyebrow. "They look awfully chummy," he commented, noting how close they were standing together, Faith faced away from them, but Bosco faced toward them, talking to her. 

"I'm sure Fred's around here somewhere," Sully said with a shrug.

Tatiana looked at her husband, slightly bemused by it all. 

Sully turned to look at his wife. "Want to meet some more of my colleagues?" he asked, smiling.

She nodded. "I would love that, very much." 

He offered her his hand as he stood up. Smiling, Tatiana placed her hand in her husband's, and stood up at his side, wrapping her arm around his waist. 

Davis glanced at Alex. "Wanna go--?" he asked, nodding toward Bosco and Yokas. 

Alex just tightly wrapped her hand around his. "Sure."

He smiled and together, the four of them headed over to their other friends. "Hey, Bosco, Yo--" he started to say, his eyes widening slightly as he realized the woman was not Faith. "You are not who I thought. Hi." 

"Whoa," Alex said silently to herself. 

Crystal looked up at him, a slight smile on her face. "Hi."

Davis looked at Bosco, his eyebrows raised. 

Tatiana looked between Davis and Ty, then her husband's colleagues, and back to her husband. "I do not understand," she said softly to him. 

Sully looked at her, feeling a bit confused himself. "I don't either," he confessed so only she would hear. 

"You ah...I'm sorry, we haven't met," she said politely to the woman standing in front of her. She exended her hand to her. "I'm Alex." 

Crystal reached out and shook her hand. "Crystal." 

"Crystal?" she said, raising her eyebrow and looking over at Bosco. "Bosco's never mentioned you to us." 

Crystal's smile faded slightly. "We've only known each other a couple weeks."

Davis frowned slightly, feeling akward. "I'm Ty," he said, shaking her hand.

"Good to meet you." She looked at Sully and Tatiana.

"John Sullivan, this is my wife Tatiana," he said, also shaking her hand. 

Tatiana smiled at her, still feeling confused. "I am pleased to meet you, Crystal." 

Crystal smiled at her. "Nice to meet you, too," she said kindly.

Alex still held her smile, but her gaze shifted to Bosco. 

"So ah, anyone seen Yokas tonight?" he asked, feeling just as awkward as everyone else. 

"Thought I had," Davis said under his breath. Then he raised his voice. "Nope, haven't seen her." 

A frown formed on Bosco's forehead. "Guess she'll be in later," he stated.

"Do you all want to come sit with us? We've got a table." 

"Can I ah, have a quiet word?" Bosco asked Davis, his voice low.

Davis glanced at Alex briefly, then shrugged. "O-kay." He followed Bosco. "What's up?" he asked.

Bosco looked at the others, before motioning for Crystal to go with Sully and the others. "I'll be there in a couple of minutes," he said, waiting until they all started moving toward the table. He turned to Alex, letting out a low sigh that only he could hear. "I ah, Crystal and Faith... haven't, met...I was wondering if you and the others...don't tell Faith, about Crystal...until I've had a chance to speak with her?" 

Davis raised an eyebrow. Bosco actually sounded nervous. No, more than that. He sounded almost fearful. "You haven't told Yokas you're seeing someone?" 

He formed several words on his lips, but nothing could come out. He let out another sigh. "She knows, but...it's more than that...I just want to be the one to tell her." 

Davis shrugged lightly. "Okay," he agreed. This is going to be an interesting night, he thought. 

* * *

Davis pulled Alex a bit closer as they danced. He glanced back at the table where his friends were sitting, his gaze focusing on Bosco and Crystal. He shook his head slowly. "It's weird," he commented.

Alex had her arms wrapped around his neck. "What is?" 

He nodded toward Crystal. "The woman Bosco brought to the ball." 

She followed his line of sight. "Oh...yeah, she looks a lot like Yokas, don't you think?" 

"Yeah, that's why it's weird." 

She nodded. "I wonder if she actually knows..." she wondered aloud, trailing off and not finishing. 

Davis raised an eyebrow. "Crystal? Or Yokas?" 

Alex met Davis' gaze. "I guess, both."

He shrugged lightly and glanced around, his gaze settling on the entrance of the room. "I don't know. But I think we're about to find out," he said, nodding toward the door where Faith Yokas was standing alone.

* * *

You could buy me diamonds, you could buy me pearls  
Take me on a cruise around the world  
Baby you know I'm worth it  
Dinner lit by candles, run my bubble bath  
Make love tenderly to last and last  
Baby you know I'm worth it

Sully took a sip of his wine and smiled at Tatiana briefly before his glance flickered to the doorway. His eyes widened slightly. "Is that Faith?" he asked, sounding stunned.

Tatiana followed her husband's line of sight, she didn't honestly know, but the likeness of the two women caused her to look questioningly at Sully. 

"Isn't Faith your partner?" she asked Bosco, gazing at him.

Bosco looked at Sully for a split moment, then looked in the direction he was, his eyes falling on Faith. She wore an amazing black gown, that seemed to outline all of her best features. He swallowed, feeling his heart beating deep in his chest. It could be overhead in his own ears above Crystal's voice. He nodded slightly, swallowing again. 

* * *

Wanna please wanna keep wanna treat your woman right  
Not just told but to show that you know she is worth your time  
You will lose if you choose to refuse to put her first  
She will if she can't find a man who knows her worth, mhmn   
Cuz a real man knows a real woman when he sees her  
And a real woman knows a real man ain't afraid to please her  
And a real woman knows a real man always comes first  
And a real man just can't deny a woman's worth

Faith stood in the doorway of the ballroom, glancing around the crowd of police officers and their spouses and dates. She swallowed hard, feeling a bit anxious. This was not her usual scene. She'd only gone to the Policeman's Ball twice before, both times with Fred, and he'd gotten drunk at the second one. She drew in a deep breath, looking around for a familiar face. Someone walked over and stood next to her and she glanced over to see Steve Gusler standing there, looking just as nervous as she felt. "Hey, Steve. How's it going?"

Gusler looked up at Faith, smiling. "Ma'am," he said politely. "You look really beautiful tonight," he said, feeling a bit nervous himself.

She smiled. "Thanks. You look pretty great yourself. You bring a date?" she asked curiously.

He felt his cheeks burn slightly. "I ah, no...I didn't know who to bring," he admitted. 

She gave him a quick smile. "You know what, I don't have a date either," she admitted, shrugging lightly. "Don't worry about it." 

Gusler smiled. "That's what I like about you, you know, you always make me feel good about myself," he told her, but a part of him wondering why he'd said it, or if he should have said it at all. He looked away. 

Faith blinked, surprised by his words. She wasn't sure how to respond for a moment. "Thanks," she said finally. 

He returned his gaze to meet Faith's. "Sure," he said, smiling. 

She smiled back, then glanced over the crowd again, her gaze settling on a table toward the back of the room. She swallowed hard, her heart speeding up a bit as she spotted Bosco, along with Sully and two women she didn't recognize. Sully motioned for her to go over. She took a deep breath and turned to Gusler. "Sully's waving us over. You wanna go over there with me?" she asked.

Gusler hesitated for a moment, before nodding. "Sure, why not. I don't really know anyone else," he told her, admittably. 

She reached over and patted his arm lightly. "You will, don't worry. It just takes some time." 

He smiled again, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Yeah. I guess."

Faith turned and walked slowly across the room with Gusler at her side. She felt her nervousness increase with every step. Finally, they reached the table. Bosco was staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably. "Hi," she said, smiling quickly to cover her nervousness.

Bosco smiled back, feeling the beats of his heart pound louder and louder in his eardrums. "Hey," he said, not taking his eyes off Faith for even a moment. He couldn't believe how amazing she looked. "You look..." he started. "Really great."

Tatiana merely smiled up at the woman standing beside the table with a younger officer she seemed to vaguely remember.

The breath caught in her throat and for a moment she couldn't speak. "Thanks." 

Bosco smiled. "I mean it," he said.

Sully smiled at her. "Faith, this is my wife, Tatiana. Tatiana, this is one of my friends, Faith Yokas." 

Tatiana stood up, extending her hand to Faith. "John has told me so much about you, it is a pleasure to meet you," she said. 

Faith smiled at Tatiana, then shook her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, too," she said sincerely.

Smiling, Tatiana sat back down next to Sully.

Crystal looked from Bosco to Faith. "I'm Crystal," she said, smiling slightly. "Nice to finally meet you." 

Bosco felt his cheeks suddenly flush. He looked at Crystal, then up at Faith. "Sorry, Faith, this is Crystal...Crystal, this is my partner, Faith Yokas."

Faith turned her attention to the woman next to Bosco, her heart clenching at the name. So this was Crystal. Smile and be nice, she told herself. "Nice to meet you, Crystal," she said quietly, managing to smile back.

Bosco could hear his heart pounding louder and louder in his ears. _Someone just shoot me now_, he said, putting up a fake smile as Crystal looked back at him.

At that moment, Davis and Alex returned to the table. "Hey, Yokas. You look nice," he told her with a smile.

"More than nice." Alex elbowed Davis in the ribs. "You look really amazing, that dress is beautiful!" she told Faith. 

She smiled at Alex and Davis. "Thanks. It's actually my sister-in-law's," she confessed, shrugging lightly.

"She has great taste," she said with a smile.

Faith smiled painfully at Crystal. "Yeah." She turned her attention back to Alex. "I love your dress."

Gusler, feeling alittle uncomfortable, excused himself and walked around to the other side of the table and took a seat beside Tatiana. He smiled, receiving one back, but didn't say anything.

"Your sister in law really does have great taste..." Alex agreed. Flushing slightly with Faith's words back at the dress she wore herself. "Thanks." 

"You're welcome," she said warmly.

"Where's Fred?" Sully asked, curious.

Pound after pound, louder and louder in his ears. Bosco flinched at hearing Fred's name. 

She flinched slightly at her husband's name and turned to look at her friend. "He wasn't feeling well," she lied, shrugging again.

Alex nodded. "Must be the flu going around." 

"Yeah, something like that," she said, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Davis pulled out a chair for Alex. 

Smiling, Alex graciously took the good gesture from Davis in, and sat down on the chair. Pulling it in with his help.

"That's too bad. I hope he gets well soon," Sully told her.

Davis glanced at Faith. "You wanna sit down?" 

_Who cares about Fred, what a...._ Bosco didn't continue his thoughts as he heard Davis' words to Faith. He felt guilty in not having asked himself.

She glanced around the table, realizing there were only seven chairs pulled around it."Actually, it looks a little full," she commented with a forced smile. "I'll just go sit somewhere else." 

Gusler immediately stood up. "Why don't you sit here, I'll bring a chair over from that table over there for me," he said, motioning toward the table to their left. 

She waved her hand. "No, it's okay, Steve." 

"Really, I insist. Please?" he asked, giving her a sad look. 

"I think it would be a bit too crowded," she said quietly, glancing at Crystal and Bosco for a very brief second.

"Gusler's right, you can't not sit with us, Faith," Alex said, frowning.

"Come on, Faith. We'll make room," Sully said, looking at her. 

She hesitated. "I don't know..." 

"Yeah, we can all squish together," Bosco stated, smiling as he looked back at her. 

"Yes, the others are right. Please join us," Tatiana said.

Davis scooted his chair closer to Alex, then grabbed a chair from another table and scooted it up to the table. "There we go. Problem solved," he said with a smile. 

Faith smiled, feeling embarrassed again. "Thanks, guys." 

Gusler smiled, and sat back down, while Alex smiled up at Faith from where she sat. 

She sat down, taking her shawl off her shoulders and draping it over the back of her seat. She was sitting directly across the table from Bosco, and to her right was Davis, to her left was Gusler. She nervously played with a napkin on the table. 

"So..." Alex started, looking at Davis and slightly nudging him to say something. 

Davis glanced over at her. "Looks like a pretty big turn out this year," he commented, looking around the crowd.

Sully nodded his agreement. "Yeah, more than the last few." 

"Yeah," Bosco agreed.

Faith was keenly aware of the sudden sense of akwardness that fell over the table and she realized it was because she had shown up. They're probably all remembering Fred's drunken antics from the last one of these I went to, she thought sadly, feeling bad that her friends were uncomfortable. 

Tatiana took in a breath, and let it back out with a happy sigh. "So, you all know each other?" 

Davis smiled at her. "Pretty much." 

Sully nodded his head toward Gusler. "I'm sorry....Tatiana, this is Officer Steven Gusler. Gusler, this is my wife Tatiana." 

Gusler smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Ma'am." 

"And you." She smiled back at him. She turned her attention over to Faith. "John tells me you have two children." 

She smiled. "Yeah, Emily and Charlie." 

Tatiana smiled. "Aww. How old are they?" 

"Charlie's nine, Emily just turned thirteen a couple months ago. How old is your son?" 

"Sergey is 19." 

Crystal looked across the table at Gusler. "I'm Crystal Johnson. I'm Bosco's date for the evening." 

Gusler nodded, smiling. Something about Crystal startled him, and his gaze shifted over to Faith for a moment, then back to her. Surprise and shock struck the features of his face. "Are you and Officer Yokas related?" 

Faith looked at Gusler, startled. "No, we're not," she said immediately, her eyes wide.

"Really? I could have sworn..." He trailed off, seeing the glare he was getting from Bosco. 

Tatiana looked over at her husband for a moment, to see him trying to look beyond the next table. "John, what is wrong?" she asked, slight frown forming on her brow. 

Sully nodded ahead of them. "The boss and his right hand moron are coming this way," he muttered.

Tatiana nodded.

Faith and Davis both turned to look.

Bosco turned around, looking in Christopher and Swersky's direction. There was a wide grin on Christopher's face. "Oh great..." he moaned.

Swersky reached their table, Christopher right behind him. "Hello. Glad you all could make it." His gaze focused on Faith for a second, then Bosco, a slight smile on his face. "Especially Yokas and Boscorelli here." 

"Well, you did ask us, Boss," Bosco replied. 

Faith frowned, feeling confused on why Swersky was so thrilled she and Bosco were there. She glanced across the table at Bosco, shooting him a questioning look.

He just shrugged slightly.

"Evening everyone." Christopher smiled, his gaze settling on Alex at Davis's side. "I don't believe we've ever met." His smile widened.

Davis tensed slightly and gave Christopher a dirty look. "This is my girlfriend, Alex Taylor." 

Gusler frowned, seeing the sly grin on Christopher's face as he stood near Alex.

Christopher gave Davis a disbelieving look. "Really, I thought you swung the other way?" he said in a really low tone so no one but himself could hear. 

"No, that was just your fantasy, Christopher," he replied, his voice just as low. 

A grin formed on Alex's face as she looked back at Davis. 

Davis winked at her. 

"Well, I hope you all have a nice evening. I'll be around," Swersky said, smiling at everyone before he left the table.

"You can go now," Sully told Christopher, nodding toward Swersky's retreating figure. 

Crystal frowned slightly, feeling confused as to why everyone seemed so tense with the tall man's presence. 

Christopher grinned at Alex once more, frowning over at Sully from his statement. "See you losers later," he remarked, walking off. 

"Hopefully not," Faith said sourly, making a face. 

Bosco grinned. 

"I really hate that guy," Davis said, shaking his head.

"Why?" Crystal asked, confused.

"Me too. First day here, he shoved me against the wall," Gusler said, sadly. 

Spend all your time waiting  
For that second chance  
For a break that would make it okay

Tatiana placed her hand over Sully's arm. "John, would you like to dance?" she asked, hearing '''Angel" by Sarah McLachlan starting to play. 

Sully looked over at her, smiling. "Yeah, I'd love to," he told her. 

Tatiana smiled, standing up with him as they then walked over to the dance area. 

"Speaking of dancing..." Davis turned to Alex. "You up to another?" 

Alex grinned. "Would love to." She smiled. 

He grinned back. "Great. I'll try not to step on your feet this time," he said, winking at her. 

"You better not," she warned in a teasing tone. 

Crystal looked at Bosco. "Would you like to dance?" she asked with a smile. 

Bosco nervously glanced over at Faith, seeing the hurt look on her face. He hated this, but he turned his gaze back to Crystal. He smiled. "Would love to," he said, helping her stand as he then led her over to the dance floor. 

Faith swallowed hard and looked down at the table, forcing herself to take a deep breath. 

Gusler felt a little awkward, but he looked over at Faith. "Would you ah, like to dance?" he asked in a low voice. 

She glanced up at him, smiling faintly. "Yeah. Thanks." She stood up. 

Gusler smiled, standing up himself before rounding the table and stopping beside Faith. 

She took his hand and allowed him to guide her onto the dance floor. 

* * *

In the arms of an angel  
fly away from here  
from this dark cold hotel room  
and the endlessness that you fear  
you are pulled from the wreckage  
of your silent reverie  
you're in the arms of the angel  
May you find some comfort there

Bosco let out a low breath, smiling at Crystal as they moved smoothly with every slight move left then right. They moved closer, her head almost resting on his shoulder, while he looked ahead. There was a strange restless feeling in his gut that seemed to intensify when Faith and Gusler stepped into view. They moved together without error, and he felt jealous. Jealous because it was Gusler, instead of himself, dancing with Faith. He tried to will himself to look away, to stop staring, but even as the music continued to play, he continued to stare. He felt guilty suddenly, when Faith's eyes fell into his gaze as she looked back at him. 

Crystal smiled as she rested her head on Bosco's shoulder, but it faded when she felt him tense. She pulled away slightly to look at him. "What's wrong?" 

Bosco shifted his gaze to Crystal momentarily, smiling slightly. "Nothing," he lied, pulling her closer to him again as he settled his gaze back on Faith. She was still looking back at him. 

Crystal's frown deepened but she didn't say anything else. 

* * *

So tired of the straight line  
and everywhere you turn  
there's vultures and thieves at your back  
and the storm keeps on twisting  
you keep on building the lie  
that you make up for all that you lack  
it don't make no difference  
escaping one last time  
it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh  
this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

Faith allowed Gusler to lead her around the dance floor. She was too caught up in staring at Bosco to realize what a good dancer the younger officer was. She swallowed hard, unable to look away from her partner's gaze. She felt a deep sadness well up within her as she gazed back at him, wishing it was him she was dancing with at that moment. 

Gusler hadn't really noticed that Faith wasn't looking at him, or really paying attention as he spoke, but he kept on talking. And talking. And talking. "So, I went to Swersky and asked him if I could sit for some of the entrant exams to become a detective... 

As the song ended, Faith realized that Gusler had been talking to her and she hadn't heard a word he'd said. She felt guilty, but compelled to look back at Bosco once again, and saw that he was still looking at her even as Crystal pulled away from him and took his hand, guiding him back to the table. She stared after him, her heart aching. She drew in a deep, shaky breath and forced herself to look at Gusler. "I'll be back in a little while, okay?" 

Gusler nodded, smiling. "Sure." 

She gave him a small smile and walked away, headed toward the restroom. 

Gusler didn't know what to make of the situation, but headed back to the table, alone. 

Faith walked into the lady's room, glad that there was no one else inside. She pulled her cellular phone out of her purse and dialed her home number, glancing at her watch. Charlie didn't go to bed for another half hour, which meant she would have a chance to tell him goodnight before he went to sleep. She smiled as the phone rang twice before someone picked up. "Hello?" 

"What the hell do you want?" Fred snapped on the other end of the line.

The smile immediately left her face. "I told Charlie I'd call and tell him goodnight." 

"Well so damn what. I told you you weren't to make any more promises to the kids," he said back, his tone low but bitter. 

"Fred, just put him on the line, all right?" she said wearily. 

"No! You're not talking to him." 

"What? What the hell is your problem?" 

"My problem is, you made a promise, and I'm going to make sure you don't get to keep it," he snarled.

Faith stared at herself in the mirror as her mouth dropped open. "What? Fred, just let me talk to him, all right?" 

"I wonder how Charlie will feel when he finds out 'mommy' dearest didn't keep her promise...sad, upset, angry?" he taunted. "Emily already hates you, but Charlie..." His tone seemed to ring slightly as he paused. "Well, it's only a matter of time before you screw up and he hates you, too." 

She shook her head in disbelief, feeling sick as tears stung her eyes. "Why are you doing this to me? What happened to you, Fred?" she asked. 

"Nothing but having my eyes opened up to the truth," he said with bitter disinterest before hanging up. 

Her hand dropped to her side, still clutching the cell phone as she stood there, hurt and shocked by her husband's words. She heard the door open and turned to see Crystal walking in. She quickly looked away, trying to hide her tears. The last thing she wanted was for Bosco's girlfriend see her crying. 

Crystal walked over to the bench, running the faucet momentarily while she rinsed her hands, before splashing the water on her face. Sighing, she turned the faucet off and stood up again, smiling over at Faith. "Oh, hi Faith," she said in a polite tone. "You know, Bosco talks about you all the time, it's Faith this, Faith that..." She chuckled, continuing. "You must be really special to him." 

She swallowed hard, trying to blink away her tears before turning to face the other woman. "Yeah, well...partners and...everything..." She took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "He talks about you a lot, too. 

Crystal smiled, waving her hand dismissively. "I hardly think so. And if he did, not as much as he does about you." 

Faith tucked her cellular phone into her purse, trying to think of something else to say to the woman. "Well, we've just known each other longer, that's all. He's a great guy. You're really lucky," she said quietly.

She smiled, sighing slightly. "Yeah, I guess."

"Well, I'm gonna go...back out there," she said abruptly, not giving Crystal a chance to respond as she reached for the door handle and quickly made her escape. 

Crystal shrugged, turning back to the mirror, she wondered what it was she'd done to upset, or offend Faith. 

* * *

Bosco was dancing with Crystal, their arms around each other, but he felt so guilty, so uncomfortable...so out of place. He wanted to be over by Faith, sitting with her, chatting like they always did. But things were different now. He shouldn't be thinking about her while he was dancing with Crystal. My girlfriend, he reminded himself. Faith was married to Fred, and that was all there was to it. But his eyes drifted over to Faith, and he frowned, watching as she sat alone, sad expression on her face. Why do things have to be this way? he asked himself. 

Crystal looked up at him. "You know...your partner seemed kind of upset when I ran into her in the restroom a little while ago."

Bosco looked back at Crystal, his eyes staying on Faith for a moment longer before he reluctantly looked away. "She did?" 

She nodded slightly. "Yeah. I mean, I don't really know her, but..." She shrugged slightly. "She looked like she'd been crying or was about to. Not sure which." 

"Did she say anything?" 

"No. I tried to talk to her and she left really suddenly." 

"Really?" he asked back, but his question was more in surprise. It didn't really sound like Faith. But then, she never really was an open person to strangers. 

She hesitated for a moment. "You know...maybe you should talk to her. I was definitely getting a bad vibe from her." 

Bosco nodded. "Yeah, yeah I should," he replied, hesitating himself. 

Crystal stopped dancing and nodded toward the table. "Go on. Make sure she's okay," she said in concern. 

He hesitated again. "Thanks," he replied, his voice soft. He headed for the table, over to Faith, slowly releasing his hand from Crystal's. 

She smiled faintly, then sighed. "Sure. No problem," she said softly. 

* * *

Go to Part 2

Go to "The Ball" options


	2. 2

Title: The Ball (2/2)

Author: Demelza & X_tremeroswellian

Emails: demelza81@yahoo.co.nz & X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: Still don't belong to us, darn it. They belong to Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells and a bunch of other people that we've never met before. Please don't sue. 

Rating: PG-13 for some language

Spoilers: Up through and including "The Unforgiven." 

Summary: The annual policeman's ball holds a lot of surprises for Bosco and Faith. But will the evening end in dreams come true or broken hearts?

Author's Note: This is the ninth story in a series of Third Watch fics we're writing titled "Wherever You Will Go." The first one is "Confessions," the second is "Here With Me," the third is "Pain," the fourth is "Tears," the fifth is "Fear," the sixth is "Sadness," the seventh is "Reunion," and the eigth is "Warning Signs." You may want to read those first before continuing. All fics can be found at the WYWG site: http://wywg.topcities.com/index.html .

Author's Note II: The songs mentioned and used in this fic in order are "A Woman's Worth" by Alicia Keys, "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, "You've Got a Way" by Shania Twain, and "Kissing You" by Des*ree. All appear on the Wherever You Will Go soundtrack, Volume I.

* * *

The Ball (Part Two)

Faith stared down at the tabletop, her stomach still upset from her fight with Fred on the phone. She couldn't believe he wouldn't let her talk to her son. She just didn't understand him anymore. She swallowed hard, trying not to cry. Maybe I should've just stayed home like Fred wanted, she thought, gently massaging her temples as her head started to ache. 

A short distance from the table, Bosco slowed down, approaching so as not to warn Faith, or give her the impression that he knew something was up. "Faith..." he said, keeping his tone low as he took the seat opposite her and sat down. "You okay?" 

She looked up, startled. "Yeah." She glanced around, feeling confusion mix in with her other emotions. "Where's Crystal?" 

He shrugged. "Dance floor. You sure you're okay? You've been really quiet tonight." 

"You left her out there by herself?" she asked dubiously, avoiding his question.

Bosco turned and looked over at where he'd seen Crystal last. He was mildly surprised to see her standing there with Gusler, chatting away like they were old buddies from the Acadamy. He turned his attention back to Faith. "Gusler's keeping her company." 

She nodded, giving him a quick smile. "She likes you a lot," she commented, glancing away.

He shrugged slightly with one shoulder. "What's not to like, right?" He grinned. 

Faith snorted and shook her head. "Well, let's start with the arrogance," she replied, grinning.

He grinned back. "Me, arrogant? Never!" 

She laughed. "Yeah, right, Boz." 

He laughed with her, relieved and happy to hear her laughing for a change. When he stopped, he felt stumped with what to say next. 

She leaned back in her chair and studied the tabletop again, letting out a low sigh. "Looks like everyone's having fun," she remarked, nodding toward Sully and Tatiana, and Alex and Davis dancing together. 

Bosco nodded. "Yeah, it's great," he said, his attention soley focused on Faith. 

She shrugged slightly. "Yeah, I guess." 

"You don't think it's great?" he asked, his voice lowered. 

She glanced at him briefly, then picked up her water glass and took a sip. "I feel really out of place, actually," she admitted.

He felt surprise by her revelation. "What, why?" 

Faith shrugged again. "This isn't my usual scene, you know? I mean, come on, look at me...I don't dress like this..." She shook her head. 

Bosco looked at her, swallowing. "Well, maybe it isn't your usual scene, and maybe you don't dress like that, but Faith...it is a part of you. I remember back when we first joined the Five-five, you were always excited about the special events, dressing up like this... it's what I remember." 

"Yeah, well..." Her voice trailed off. "Guess I just feel out of my league at this point." 

"Well you shouldn't." 

"Bosco, look around," she said quietly. 

"Come on, Faith, you were always the one to say I should try new things...this is far from my scene, too, but it's a break away from what we do every other night of the year." 

"That's not what I meant." 

"Then explain it to me." 

She sighed. "Look at all these other women. Look at Taylor, and Tatiana, and Crystal and all other women here." She shook her head. "They're beautiful. I just look like a tramp," she said, echoing what Fred had said as she left. 

Bosco shook his head. "What bullshit, Faith. You look...more amazing than ever before. You're far more beautiful than any of the other women here," he told her, his voice filled with sincerity. 

She looked down at the table. "Thanks, but as my friend, I think you're required to say something to make me feel better." 

Bosco looked at her, stung by her words. _As my friend..._ that's right, he reminded himself, that's all she thinks of you as, all she ever will. "I'm not saying it as a friend..." he said softly. 

His words made her freeze and the breath caught in her throat. "Boz..." she whispered. 

"I'm not gonna say sorry, or take back what I said..." he told her flatly, his voice still low as he shook his head. "I won't, because I meant it." 

She swallowed hard, nodding. "I know you did," she said softly. 

He just looked at her, the part of him that told him to speak having gone silent. He wanted to say so much, but everything he wanted to say, he knew he couldn't. 

Faith finally looked over at him, feeling sad. "Sorry." 

Bosco shook his head. "Don't, I just...want to say so much..." He paused, looking at her. 

Part of her wanted more than anything to tell him to say what it was he wanted to say. But the other part of her was terrified of what he *would* say. She let out a soft sigh. "How did we end up here?" she asked softly. 

"I don't know," he replied in a low voice. "I don't...regret it." 

She looked down. "Maybe not right now. But you will later." 

He shook his head slightly again. "I don't, I won't...I wouldn't..." 

"You don't know that, Bosco."

He let out a sigh, looking at her. "Yeah, I do." 

She just looked at him sadly. "How?"

"Because how I feel about you will never change." 

"How you *think* you feel about me," she corrected him.

"Why do you do that?" he asked, his voice sad. "Try to change what you don't want to be true..." 

Her eyes filled with tears. "Bosco, it's not that I don't want it to be true," she said softly, shaking her head. "For your sake, I just hope it's not. Because I'll ruin your life just like I ruined Fred's." 

He couldn't believe what she just said. "You wouldn't, Faith." 

"Yeah," she said softly, feeling physically ill. "I really would." 

"I think I'd be the judge of that." 

She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, one tear running down her cheek. "I won't let that happen," she said, determination in her voice. 

Bosco extended his hand out over the table, and placed it over one of hers. "Faith..." he whispered, saddened to see her cry. 

She reached up with her hand and brushed away the tear. "If we were together...I'd mess things up between us, just like I have with Fred. And I'm not going to let that happen. I can't. You deserve better..." 

"Faith...if I had you, you'd be all I ever wanted, or needed...it's you that deserves better, better than Fred," he told her, sincerity in his tone. 

She shook her head. "No, Bosco...you're wrong...about me, and about Fred," she said quietly. 

"No, I'm not, and you're fooling yourself if you try to tell me otherwise." 

Faith closed her eyes momentarily, then opened them again, her gaze focused on the dance floor. "You should get back to your date." 

He didn't take his eyes off her as he shook his head. "You always do this." 

She met his gaze again. "Do what, Bosco? Try to talk some sense into you?" she challenged.

"No, you always try to avoid what's going on between us," he stated, sighing. He pulled away, sitting back in his chair. "I wish you wouldn't." 

"I wish a lot of things, but we don't always get what we want," she said, her tone defeated.

Bosco sighed again, fiddling with a small salt satchet that he got from the center placing on the table. He set his gaze on her again, but didn't say anything for a short while. "You really do look great tonight," he told her. 

She blinked back tears. "Thank you." She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "You look pretty great yourself." 

He smiled slightly. "Thanks. But I mean it. You look really great beautiful."

She smiled in return and looked down at the table. "That means a lot, Boz...thanks." 

Bosco's smile widened. "Any time," he said back, his tone low. 

She looked out onto the dance floor. "Gusler's stealing your girlfriend," she joked lightly, nodding toward where the two were dancing.

Bosco turned around on the seat, and watched as Gusler and Crystal danced together. She wore a wide smile, and it made him happy. But then a part of him was sad again, he really honestly liked Crystal, but he was in love with Faith. Confused, he turned back around to face Faith. "Crystal's out of his league." 

"Yeah..." Her voice dropped to nearly inaudibility. "Know that feeling."

Bosco let out a low breath, tossing the small satchet aside. He stood up, pushing the chair out from under him. "Come on," he said to Faith, smiling as he extended his hand out to her. "Dance with me." 

She looked up at him in surprise. She knew she shouldn't, but she slid her hand into his anyway and stood up. Bosco felt the smile stretch over his face, and without another word, he led her over to the dance floor. 

You've got a way with me  
Somehow you got me to believe  
In everything that I could be  
I've gotta say-you really got a way 

Faith looked up at him as he rested one hand on her lower back, the fingers of his right hand interlacing through the fingers of her right hand. She swallowed hard as he gazed down at her intensely, his blue eyes seeming to stare right into her soul. 

Bosco held Faith's gaze with a smile as he looked back at her, feeling the warmth of her body against his. He could feel her heart beating strongly, and he gently smiled again. "So..." he began, his voice a near whisper. 

You've got a way it seems  
You gave me faith to find my dreams  
You'll never know just what that means  
Can't you see... you got a way with me 

She offered him a small smile back. "What?" she asked, wondering what he was about to say.

It's in the way you want me  
It's in the way you hold me  
The way you show me just what love's made of  
It's in the way we make love

"Here we are..." he continued, smiling again. "Together." 

"Yeah, together," she echoed, sadness in her tone. 

"Tell me how to make you happy..." Bosco said, his tone gentle, full of truth. He brushed back a loose strand of her hair, replacing his hand by placing it on her hip, so that both hands were holding her waist, now. "And I will," he promised. 

She looked up at him, her heart aching at his words. "Can you arrange it so this night doesn't end?" she asked softly.

You've got a way with words  
You get me smiling even when it hurts  
There's no way to measure what your love is worth  
I can't believe the way you get through to me 

"I can try," he whispered. 

"You don't know how much I wish things were different," she said, looking away. 

"Don't I? I think I do, Faith."

She looked back at him, swallowing hard. "Boz?" 

"I wish things were different, I wish you and me... that we could be... more than we are now," he told her. 

She bit her lip. "Bosco?" 

It's in the way you want me  
It's in the way you hold me  
The way you show me just what love's made of  
It's in the way we make love 

He swallowed, stopping as the music played on. "I want to be with you, Faith." 

She stopped moving when he did, the crowd around them dancing and paying them no attention. "Can we..." her voice trailed off. 

"What?" he asked back, not sure what she was going to say. 

She shook her head, embarrassed. "Nothing. Nevermind. It's stupid." 

"Nothing you ever say is stupid, Faith," he told her, his voice low as he started moving them both to the music again. "Whatever you want...just tell me..." 

She met his gaze again and hesitated briefly. "Can we just pretend for awhile?" she asked, her voice inaudible, but her eyes full of hope. 

He nodded. "For as long as you want..." he promised her. 

The music changed again, this time to a slower song. Some of the officers in the crowd chose to leave the dance floor and head back to their tables while a few couples remained. Faith stepped closer to Bosco, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest as they danced. 

Pride can stand a thousand trials,  
The strong will never fall.  
But watching stars without you, my soul cries

Bosco smiled, holding Faith in his arms as they moved slowly to the music. The woman's voice was soft as she sang. "I don't want tonight to ever end," he whispered gently to her. 

Heaving heart, it's full of pain.  
Oh, oh, the aching.  
cause I'm kissing you. oh.  
I'm kissing you, oh. 

She closed her eyes tightly. "Me either," she whispered back, allowing herself to think about what it would be like to be with Bosco the way she wanted to be. To be loved by him, and held by him all the time. 

"It doesn't have to end..." he began, but stopped before he said something that would break them apart again. 

A tear escaped her eye and dropped onto his tuxedo jacket. "I wish that were true," she said softly. 

"It can be."

"Bosco..." She shook her head slightly, another tear falling.

"Sorry..." he gently whispered, holding her closer to him. 

She nodded against his chest, taking a deep breath. She felt so secure in his arms, she didn't ever want to leave. 

Touch me deep, pure and true.  
Give to me forever.  
cause I'm kissing you. oh.  
I'm kissing you. 

Bosco closed his eyes, as if willing every other person out of the room so that he and Faith were there alone, and as he opened his eyes and felt her warm body against his, he wished more and more with every passing second that they were there alone. "I wish we were the only ones here... " he said, whispering softly for Faith's ears alone. "...with no one else, no other worries...just us." 

She shivered, closing her eyes, part of her wishing he'd kiss her, but knowing that it was wrong. She swallowed hard, tears stinging her eyes. If only it was just the two of them... 

Bosco leaned his face closer to Faith's. "I really want to kiss you, right now...in front of all these people..."

She looked up at him. "Bosco...we can't..." She shook her head sadly. 

He looked back at her. "They don't matter to me, Faith...just you, and if I had the choice...I'd want the whole world to know how much I love you." 

She stopped dancing and looked down at the floor, trying to pull herself together. She took a slow, deep breath and finally looked up at him again. "Please don't....don't say that," she said softly. 

"It's the truth."

She shook her head slowly. "Bosco...you don't know...if you did...and I can't..." She looked at the ground, upset that she couldn't seem to find the words she wanted to say. 

He let out a low breath, and cupped her chin and turned her face up toward him. "I do know, I know how I feel..." He gently shook his head. "And that's not going to change."

"It has to." 

"Only because you say it has to," he replied, painfully. 

Faith took his hand. "Let's go outside. There's too many people...here..." she said vaguely. 

Bosco nodded, and walked out with her. 

She lead him outside, where it was just the two of them away from the crowd. Music from the ball drifted into the street, but not loud enough to prevent a real conversation. She stared at the pavement, faced away from him for a long moment, trying to gather her courage before she spoke. 

"Faith, look at me..." he said softly to her. 

She closed her eyes briefly, then turned around to face him very slowly. "Bosco, I'm going to say something to you and I need you to really listen to me. I need you to hear me." There was a hint of pleading in her voice. 

Bosco looked back at her, a sinking feeling coming over him, but he slowly nodded. 

"We can't do this anymore," she said softly, shaking her head. "*I* can't do this anymore. It hurts too much. I'm not sleeping, I can't hardly eat. I cry all the time and I just...I can't do it, Bosco. I can't. I'm sorry." 

He shook his head. "No, Faith...I hadn't....I didn't..." He didn't know what to say, what to do, what to think. He didn't want to see her hurting, but he wanted them to be together, wanted her. 

She closed her eyes. "We have to stop pretending like anything can ever happen between us, because it can't. I'm married, I have kids, I have responsibilities and obligations to my family." Her voice shook as she opened her eyes to look at him, tears shining there. "I'm sorry, Bosco. I am. Because I never wanted to hurt you, either. But I have to do the right thing and...I can't do that if we keep..." She motioned her hand to the space between them. "...bringing this back up over and over. I just...can't. Please." 

Bosco felt like his heart had been torn out. He stared at her, he knew she was hurting, knew that what had happened between them was hurting *them*. "I never meant for it to...end up like this...I..." He shook his head, unable to continue.

"I know that," she whispered. "I know that, I do. It's not your fault." 

"What now, then? We just go back in there, and continue on for the rest of...forever..." He swallowed hard, tears forming in his eyes. He sniffed to hold them back, but it didn't work, they just rolled down his face. "Like it never happened?" 

She felt sick to her stomach. Why do I screw up everyone around me? She reached up to brush away her own tears. "Yeah," she whispered, hating herself. "I don't think we have a choice." 

He stared back at her, feeling each tear as it streamed down his face. He wanted to wipe them away, but he felt too numb to do that. "We do have a choice, Faith," he told her, his voice pained. He shook his head and took a step back. "I can't...I have to...go..." he said, his voice low, still shaking his head as he then stepped away and walked away from her, headed back into the building. 

Faith choked back a sob as she turned away and covered her mouth with one hand. I'm sorry, Bosco....I'm so sorry, she thought as tears blurred her vision. 

* * *

Sully sighed as he looked around the room, searching for his AWOL colleagues. They'd both been gone for nearly a half-hour and no one seemed to know where they disappeared to. Just as he was about to give up, he caught sight of Bosco standing on the far side of the room, over by the punch table, out of sight from the rest of the crowd. With a deep breath, he walked over. "There you are. I've been looking all over for you." 

Bosco slightly jumped, startled by Sully. He turned to look at the older officer, hoping he couldn't see how red he knew his eyes had become from the crying he'd been sitting there doing for the last short while. "Yeah, sorry, had to get some air," he lied. 

Sully frowned slightly. Something wasn't right, but he wasn't sure what. "Where's Yokas? Swersky's been looking for you two for the past fifteen minutes." 

"I ah, haven't seen her," he said back, another lie. 

He sighed. "Well, if you see her, tell her she better find Swersky before he gets mad." 

Bosco nodded. "Yeah, of course," he said, and waited until Sully walked away before letting out a long sigh. "God I hate this." He walked back into the hall, his heart pounding, head aching. He just wanted this night to be over once and for all. He had just gone inside, when he saw Faith walking across to the exit from where he stood by the restroom. "Swersky's looking for us," he told her, trying to avoid really looking at her. 

Her heart sank. She just wanted to go home and sleep. And cry. She couldn't speak, couldn't form the words, so she just nodded, feeling defeated and exhausted. 

Bosco swallowed hard, and walked back inside to the main room and over to the table. His head was throbbing more and more. 

She relunctantly followed him back, trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone at that point. 

* * *

Faith could feel the looks from her friends and colleagues at her table, but she ignored them best she could, taking a drink of her water. She glanced around the room, hoping to spot Swersky so she could find out what he wanted and go home. At that moment, the music stopped abruptly and she heard a familiar voice from the stage. She jerked her head over to see Swersky on stage at a microphone and wondered what was going on.

"May I have your attention please?" 

"What's he doing?" Davis whispered softly, confused.

"What?" Alex asked Davis, looking at him.

"Why's he up on stage for?" Gusler asked, looking over at Faith, confused. 

She shook her head. "I don't know," she answered quietly. 

Swersky smiled at the audience as everyone quieted down. "It is not standard procedure for us to pass out accomendations at the Policeman's Ball, however..." He smiled wider and glanced at the far table in the room. "...tonight we are making an exception." 

"Is he looking down here?" Bosco asked, frowning.

"Looks like," Sully replied, looking startled.

"Tonight we have two officers at the 55-Precinct that are each receiving not one, but two awards each for their handling of two separate cases." 

Davis's eyes widened and he looked over at his girlfriend, stunned. 

She looked back at him, just as stunned and shocked by the announcement. 

"John, what does this mean?" Tatiana whispered.

"It means that two people at the 55 are about to be honored in a very big way," he told her, his voice hushed. 

Swersky looked over toward the far table again. "These two particular officers have been with the precinct and have been partners for the past eight years." 

Sully immediately turned to look at Bosco, then Faith, his eyes now wide. 

He can't possibly be talking about us, Faith thought, feeling confused. 

Bosco swallowed. _Please don't let it be us, please don't let it be us._

Swersky continued. "The first award they are both receiving is for outstanding service on duty. Not long ago there was a shootout in which these two officers went above and beyond the call of duty by risking their lives to save the lives of their colleagues." 

Crystal felt how tense her boyfriend was at her side, and she frowned. "Maurice, are you all right?" 

He nodded. "Fine," he said, his voice scratchy. He looked over at Faith. 

"You don't think..." Alex whispered to Davis, nodding toward Bosco first, then Faith. 

"I think so," he replied, nodding. 

"Wow." 

"The second award they are both about to be presented with is for their heroic actions during a recent crisis situation. Three armed robbers took several hostages inside a bank, these two officers included. They were both off duty and unarmed at the time the situation occurred. They were able to disarm all three robbers and get the situation under control without anyone being seriously injured or killed." 

Faith felt all the color drain from her face at the mention of the bank robbery. 

Bosco felt his heart lunge, his attention immediately directed at Faith. He could see how pale she was, and it scared him. But he could hear her words 'We can't do this anymore' echo in his mind and he shook his head, and looked away again. 

Davis turned to look at her, a big grin on his face. "Way to go, guys," he said, winking at Faith, then turning and grinning at Bosco. 

Crystal looked startled. "He's talking about you and your partner?" 

Bosco smiled faintly at Davis, then looked at Crystal. "Yeah, I think so." 

"We are lucky to have these two officers among us tonight. Everyone please give a big round of applause for Officer Maurice Boscorelli, and Officer Faith Yokas." 

Gusler smiled, and clapped his hands instantly, turning to Faith. "You did it, Ma'am, you got two awards!" he said cheerfully. 

Sully clapped Bosco on the shoulder. "Congratulations," he said with a smile. He looked down the table at Faith, his smile fading at the expression on her face.

Bosco smiled, and followed Sully's line of sight. "Faith?" he asked, his voice low. 

She sat in stunned disbelief, unable to respond to either Gusler or her partner. 

"Officers, would you please come up and get your awards?" 

Bosco looked at Faith. "Come on." He smiled at her, standing up from his chair and waited for her. 

Davis looked at her, worried. "You okay?" he asked quietly. 

Faith shook her head wordlessly, somehow managing to rise to her feet at Bosco's words. She numbly followed him to the front of the room, her heart pounding loudly and competing with the thundering of applause from the audience. 

Swersky smiled at them, handing them each two plaques with their names engraved. "Congratulations, Officer Boscorelli, Officer Yokas." 

Bosco smiled at his superior officer. "Thanks, Boss." 

Swersky shook his hand, and then Faith's. 

"Thanks," she echoed.

He smiled at them broadly. "Let's have another round of applause," he said into the microphone.

She cringed slightly, but tried to give what she hoped was a convincing smile of thanks.

Gusler, Alex, Tatiana and the others all joined in, clapping their hands loudly, Alex whistling out to them from the back.

Bosco smiled at everyone, holding his plaque up slightly.

Just let this end, Faith thought, feeling sick to her stomach. 

The applause finally died down and after a moment, the music started playing again. People's attention started to shift away from her and Bosco and she closed her eyes momentarily. 

"Congratulations, Faith," Bosco told her, his voice lowered as he painfully looked at her. 

"Yeah, you too," she said softly. 

He smiled, before walking back to the table.

She followed him back, dreading returning to her friends, not wanting to hear anymore praise for 'a job well done.' 

"Congratulations," Davis said, smiling at them.

"Wow, you guys..." Alex cheerfully said, watching as each officer took their respective seats once again. "Bet you'll be dusting off your mantel to sit those little gems up there next to all the rest."

Tatiana just smiled, holding her husband's hand tightly in hers. 

"Congratulations, Ma'am," Gusler said quietly to Faith.

"Thanks," she said quietly. She took one sip of her water, nausea washing over her again. She quickly set the glass down and grabbed the shawl off the back of her chair, draping it over her shoulders and standing up. 

Sully looked at her, surprised. "You're leaving?"

She forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, I'm really tired. I need to get home."

Bosco looked in her direction, silently.

Davis frowned and looked from Faith, to Bosco, then at Alex, a questioning look on his face.

"I'll see you guys later." She turned to go.

Crystal nudged Bosco slightly with her elbow, nodding toward Faith.

Bosco looked up at Faith. "See ya later," he told her, a dull ache appearing in his chest. 

She paused, squeezing her eyes shut. "Yeah," she said, her voice inaudible.

"Have a nice night, Ma'am." 

"Thanks, Steve. You too." 

He smiled back at her. 

"It was nice meeting you, Faith," Tatiana added. 

"Nice to meet you, too." She forced a smile, waved at all of them, then turned and made a beeline for the exit.

Sully frowned deeply. He let go of Tatiana's hand. "I'll be right back, okay?" 

"Okay." 

He shot a glance at Bosco as he rose to his feet. 

Crystal looked at Bosco. "She didn't look so good. Maybe you should go after her," she urged. 

Bosco swallowed, looking back at Crystal. "She's okay," he told her back, lying. He should have gone after her, but Faith had made it clear that 'they' had to stop it. So he just sat there. 

"I don't think so," Sully replied, overhearing the brief interchange between Bosco and Crystal as he made his way around the table. 

Davis glanced over at Sully, a deep frown on his face. 

Sully glared at Bosco briefly before following Faith out the door. "Faith, wait," he called. 

Faith stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn around. 

"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice full of concern as he walked over to her. 

"Not really," she admitted, shaking her head.

"You wanna talk about it?" 

She sighed, still feeling sick. She lifted her plaques up for him to see. 

He looked at them, confused. 

"I don't want these, Sully." She handed them to him. 

"What? Faith, what are you talking about?"

She looked at the ground. "I killed a guy. I killed a guy and they gave me a fucking award for it. And the bank thing? I screwed up in there. Bad." She shook her head, feeling at the end of her rope. "I don't want them. You keep them." 

He stared at her, stunned. "Faith..." 

She looked at him, blinked back tears. "Please. I just...need to go now." She turned and headed off down the sidewalk alone.

Sully stared after her, holding her awards in his hand, feeling worried and concerned for his friend. 

* * *

Sully headed back to the table where his wife, Bosco and Crystal were still sitting. He noted that the others were all dancing again. He carried the awards with him, unsure of what else to do with them. 

Bosco looked at Sully, confused. "Aren't those Faith's?"

He nodded and set them on the table as he sat down in his seat. "Yep." 

"So why do you have them?" 

Sully looked at him. "Because she didn't want them." 

Bosco looked back at him. "What?" he asked, shocked. 

"She said she didn't want them. My guess is you probably know more what this is about that I do," he said pointedly, holding the younger officer's gaze. 

Bosco gulped, not saying anything back. It was the truth. 

Crystal, who was sitting between the officers finally spoke up, her voice quiet and calm. "Did she leave?" 

Sully nodded. "Yeah. She said she needed to go home." 

Crystal nodded, then turned to look at Bosco. "We need to talk," she said softly, standing up.

Bosco stayed silent for a while, running thoughts through his head when he heard Crystal's voice. He stood up, and followed her. "About?" 

"Look." She smiled gently. "I've had a lot of fun the past couple weeks. But I think we both know that...this isn't going anywhere." 

He leaned all of his weight onto one leg. "What?" 

She took a deep breath. "I don't want to get seriously involved with someone who is very obviously in love with someone else. I saw the way you were looking at her all night. It nearly killed you to let her walk out of here and you not to go after her. She's your partner, your best friend. I can't compete with that. I don't even want to try," she said, looking at him, her eyes serious.

"Crystal..." He stopped, swallowing. "Faith and I... I'm not..." He shook his head, laughing a little, trying to try get her to believe him.

"Look, I'm not upset. But I'm not stupid, either," she said, her voice kind but firm. "It's pretty easy to pick up on." 

"I..." He shook his head again, beaten. "I'm sorry, Crystal. I never...I do like you, just...not..."

She gave him a small smile. "I know." She paused. "You want some advice?" 

Bosco nodded. 

"Don't give up on her. I'm not going to pretend to know the first thing about her or about the two of you, but...the way you were looking at her...she was looking at you back the same way." 

"She said it can't work, that...it had to stop..." he told her painfully. 

"Well, from what you've said, she's married to a real jerk, right?" 

He nodded. "Yeah, he is." 

"Then, chances are, there's probably a lot more going on behind her reasoning for pushing you away than you think. And one of these days, she's going to wake up and realize that it was the wrong thing to do." 

He looked back at her, blinking once. "You really think she will? I know Faith better than that..." He gently shook his head, saddened even at the thought. 

"Like I said, I don't really know her, but..." She hesitated. "I definitely have the feeling that...there's a lot more going on than you think." 

"Yeah, we're not exactly talking like we used to...not since..." He closed his mouth, shaking his head again. 

Crystal bit her lip. "Well, maybe...maybe you should back off pressuring her to be involved with you romantically, try to get things back so she will open up to you and then maybe she'll come around." 

He felt his cheeks flush slightly. "Yeah, you're right...I have been pressuring her....I just..." 

"Love her," she finished quietly.

Bosco looked at her. "Yeah." 

She smiled. "I hope it works out for the two of you." 

"Thanks." He let out a low breath, hating that he'd used her like he had, because truthfully, he admitted, that's what he had done. "I'm sorry." 

Crystal waved her hand, dismissing it. "It's okay. I've been there myself," she confessed, shrugging. 

Bosco nodded. "Still, it doesn't make what I did any better."

"You know, you really need to lighten up on yourself. Not everything's your fault, Maurice."

"This is," he replied in a low voice. 

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm ditching you to catch a ride home with someone I met here," she said, winking at him and grinning. 

Bosco chuckled. "Oh yeah, who's that?" he asked, dreading the thought she was talking about Christopher. 

Crystal's smiled widened. "Steve Gusler."

His eyes widened, and a smile stretched across his face. He laughed. "You've got to be kidding me. Gusler? I...Gusler!?" 

She laughed. "Yeah. He's a really sweet guy." 

Bosco shook his head. "Faith says the same thing, but he's a little young, isn't he?"

Crystal raised an eyebrow. "How old do you think I am, Maurice?" 

"Uhh..." he began. He gave her an apologetic look. "I ah...twenty...six?" 

She laughed. "That was a rhetorical question." She winked at him. 

"Sorry," he apologized. 

"Stop apologizing. I was joking." 

Bosco went to apologize again, but he refrained from doing so. 

She looked at him and sighed lightly. "You know, you look really tired. Maybe you should go home and get some sleep." 

He nodded. "Maybe. I don't think I could sleep though." 

"Well...maybe you should go find your friend first," she suggested softly. 

He lowered his head. "She won't want to talk..." He looked at Crystal again. "Thank you, though." 

Crystal nodded. "Sure." She turned to go find Gusler, but paused. "Take care of yourself, all right?" 

Bosco nodded, smiling back at her. "I will, you too." 

"I will. Good luck with Faith. I hope it works out the way you want it to." 

"Thanks," he said, watching silently as she walked away. "So do I," he said quietly to himself, letting out a breath, before he too walked away, headed for the main exit. 

* * *

Back to "The Ball" options


End file.
